Past projects 28
To Read or Not to Read: A Common Core Need
Funded Oct 25, 2014These books have truly been a godsend to my ninth grade class. I wish I could transport all the donors into the class so you can see the impact these texts have had in the thinking process of my kids.
We read a non-fiction story the other day about a captain that was killed during World War II. It was a narrative that ended in an unusual way. After the first reading, my class and I were able to discuss the basic structure and what the claim of the article might be. Then we delved into the questions at the end, which are based on the new Common Core Standards. The answers came; one after another - and they were all wrong. The kids became frustrated and I sent them back into the text. A second reading commenced. Followed by more discussion. It took us almost the entire period to answer one question. It was lovely to behold! The students are definitely capable of higher level thinking when given the right tools for fostering, which all of you had by your donation to my project.
So, thank you again for caring about my kids and their education.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michelle Serrano
This classroom project was brought to life by College Football Playoff and 3 other donors.The Gift of (Informational) Reading
Funded Sep 15, 2014My class and I are so thankful for the materials you provided for them. It was exciting to open the boxes and put the materials in the hands of my kids. It was like Christmas! I wanted to let you know how much these books have changed the atmosphere of my classroom.
To begin, the first resource we used was the Reading For Information texts. This book provided seven challenging non-fiction readings appropriate for a junior level English class. With the onset of the Common Core Standards, the hardest aspect was finding appropriate, challenging materials for the class to analyze. They have that now. The next step was to teach them how to attack these texts through a variety of methods - all of which is describe in detail in the books you provided. They can follow me through an analysis of the first text as a guide, leaving the other texts for them to try their own analysis. Then, at the end of the text, there is a set of higher level discussion questions. What a difference that made in my class! I wish you could witness what my juniors can do when provided with the right materials. It was exciting!
The second set of materials was The Great Speeches of the Twentieth Century. Now that my kids had a grasp of identifying rhetorical devices and braking down structure, they were ready to tackle some of these poignant speeches. Kennedy's inaugural address, Roosevelt's New Deal , etc... Such rich, powerful speeches, and now my kids can better understand why they moved people, or even a country.
You have definitely enriched my classroom! Thank you for carrying about my kids. I hope that one day they will improve the lives of future kids as well.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michelle Serrano
But Soft! What Light Through Yonder Playbook Breaks...
Funded Jan 19, 2014We are now in our Shakespeare Unit, and the Romeo and Juliet playbooks have been distributed to the kids. What a difference they have made in my classroom! The kids are better able to act out the play since they don't have to lug around the big bulky textbooks. They have loved trying out different ways to act out a scene, until they reach a tone or mood that balances the lines they are reading. In addition, we have managed to do close reading of the text as they are now able to annotate it - underlining key lines, highlighting difficult passages, and translating the text to modern day speech. Because of your generous donation, they are enjoying the play tremendously. Thank you for giving them this gift.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michelle Serrano
Wanted: Interesting Texts for Common Core
Funded Feb 10, 2014These magazines have truly been a godsend to my classroom. As evidenced from the photos, you can see how engaged my students were during the learning process. First, we read a high-interest article on how the brain works. Then we checked for understanding with the Common Core-like test the magazine provided. Because the subscription also comes with support materials, the class was able to view a video connected to the article. A great discussion ensued for the rest of the class period. The next day, we were able to extend the previous day's learning with a support activity where the kids had a chance to test their brains in action. To culminate the unit, they were able to use the outline guide and write a cohesive essay. Needless to say, the students loved it, and I was enthralled at the variety of materials that I had access to. Thank you for allowing success to happen in my class, in my school.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michelle Serrano
Looking Closely At Dystopia
Funded Sep 10, 2013I distributed the copies of Brave New World to my AP English Literature class three weeks ago. It was on a Friday, and their Thanksgiving break homework was to read the entire novel. They were asked to underline passages they agreed with, place a question mark next to sections they did not understand, and underline vocabulary they needed to add to their repertoire. I remember this day distinctly because after receiving the books, their first comment was "It's so pretty." "I don't want to write in it." "Can I just put post it notes like on the other books?" "I don't want to destroy it." And my personal favorite, "You mean it's mine?"
It is now weeks later, and the novels have been decimated, and I love it! I wish I could magically transport you into the classroom when we started to discuss the dystopian world Huxley provided us with. Chapter by chapter, the students and I have dissected World State, and we have re-read and interacted with this world. We have discovered the follies of soma and castes, we have laughed over the feelies and the hypnopaedic messages, and we have been devastated by the loss of John "Savage."
It is sometimes easy to forget that while schools have resources for their kids, they are not consumables. Because they are "borrowed," students do not often get the opportunity to claim "ownership" of the novel. But you gave my kids this gift. You allowed them to discover the novel on their own terms, and they have been truly enlightened because of it. Thank you for giving them the gift of reading. I believe this novel will stay with them for a long, long time - maybe even forever.”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michelle Serrano
This classroom project was brought to life by Kia Motors America and 3 other donors.Creative Minds Need Storage
Funded Jan 20, 2012My juniors were the first class to utilize the flash drives that were bought through your kindhearted donation. The assignment was to research an important American poet and teach the class about their life, their poetry, and how those two pieces of information are connected together. They spent three days in our computer lab, and were able to successfully save their PowerPoint projects. None was accidentally deleted. None was lost. None was mistakenly moved to another file. This was a great success, and one that the kids really seemed to enjoy.
My freshmen are now getting ready to journey into the computer lab next week to create their very own magazine featuring World War II - a collaboration between English and history. Their projects will also be safeguarded through your donation.
We are a technological society, and at times, I feel that the kids are probably more versed in technology than I am. Nevertheless, I do believe that when I bring some aspect of it into the classroom, the students get a deeper understanding of the lesson. Something as simple of a flash drive was all I needed to be able to give my kids that extra lesson that went beyond poster board projects or even cut and paste collages. The gift may seem simple, but the results are astounding. Thank you for caring so much! ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michelle Serrano
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 17 other donors.Information the Multimedia Way
Funded Jan 29, 2012I received the LCD projector about a month ago and have used is almost three times a week since. It is one of the most helpful pieces of technology I have in the classroom today.
- Notes on the literature are now accompanied with pictures, and even at times a short video clip, which gives the students a more in-depth understanding of the text. (i.e. In my freshmen class, we took notes on the novel, Night; saw black and white pictures of life in the camps; and we observed a brief documentary - all without having to go from the overhead to a magazine to the TV / DVD.)
- A midterm review turned into a fun Jeopardy - type game, and while the kids were entertained, information was reinforced.
- My juniors taught each other famous American poets using PowerPoint.
As you can see, all my students have benefited from your kind donation. I understand that times are tough, and that sometimes it is truly hard to give when you have just enough. But you are all visionaries for the future - you all understand that investing in my kids, in our kids really, is important for everyone, and I applaud you all! Thank you from the bottom of my heart. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michelle Serrano
Becoming A Classroom For The 21st Century
Funded Jan 23, 2012It is truly amazing to see what one piece of technology can do for your classroom and for your kids. The document camera, bought through your generous donations, has truly been a blessing. My students and I have been able to use it in a variety of ways:
- My senior class was better able to present their mythology project to the entire class. Some students created a poster, and the document camera was used as a "microscope", allowing the presenter to zoom in on certain key aspects. Other students created an archaeological box, and the technology was able to let us all peer inside to see the "uncovered artifacts".
- I am now able to bring in the real world with more ease in my freshmen class. Earlier in the year we embarked on a Titanic Unit, and with the centennial anniversary of the disaster coming up, many articles are being written about the incident. I recently shared such an article using the document camera. Not only was the accessibility important, but the fact that I did not have to make many photocopies for the class helped our budget as well.
Even though these are just a few examples of how we are utilizing your gift, please know that it truly is a "gift that will keep on giving." I would never have been able to acquire such a useful supplement, and my teaching is now better because of it. Thank you for caring about my students, and in turn, thank you for caring about education. ”
With gratitude,
Ms. Michelle Serrano
This classroom project was brought to life by Wasserman Foundation and 22 other donors.